updated 02:10 pm EDT, Mon October 5, 2009

Windows Marketplace for Mobile launches

Microsoft today surprised Windows Mobile users with an early but low-profile launch for Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The app store is meant as the official gateway for apps on Windows Mobile 6.x devices, including 6.5 models like the HTC Pure. However, the portal so far only has 34 apps, 10 of which are games, and so far carries paid apps with average prices above those found in the iPhone's App Store.

Officials hadn't commented as of press time whether they expected significantly more apps on Tuesday, the official launch of Windows Mobile.

If the library persists on Tuesday, the catalog will represent a difficult start for Windows Marketplace, as it will show relatively little adoption of the store despite thousands of apps being available. Apple's store by contrast launched with about 500 apps and most recently passed the 85,000-app mark, having eclipsed Microsoft's total library earlier. Microsoft has tried to appeal to developers by using a similar 70/30 revenue split as well as encouraging ports of iPhone apps, but it has pushed for "premium" pricing and limits the number of apps that can be published after paying a developer fee. [viaWMPowerUser]

The WinMo app flood begins...

with 34 apps. Woo-hoooo. I'm sure Ballmer's spin is "less is more." It's a lot easier to find apps in the MS Marketplace than the App Store.

I'm still getting the feeling that Ballmer's loyal followers are trying to insinuate that the Marketplace won't be getting useless, garbage apps as time goes by. For all we know, 59 out of those 60 games might be useless, garbage games.